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Travel (General/Chat)

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  • Unearthed Neanderthal site rich in horse bones

    08/17/2014 12:02:34 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 17 replies
    Horsetalk ^ | August 15, 2014 | unattributed
    A site in southwestern France found to be rich in the bones of horses and other large herbivores has provided important insights into the hunting and scavenging habits of Neanderthals. A team of archaeologists from the French archaeological agency Inrap have unearthed hundreds of bones at the Middle Paleolithic site in Quincieux dating back 35,000 to 55,000 years. The work was started due to roadworks in the area, with the outstanding discovery prompting local authorities to extend the time available for excavations. The excavation of the prehistoric site, on a hill overlooking the old bed of the Saone River, revealed...
  • ‘Significant’ human burial site uncovered by archaeologists in Cyprus

    08/17/2014 11:49:52 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 9 replies
    Cyprus Mail ^ | Thursday, August 14th, 2014 | Elias Hazou
    The Department of Antiquities has announced the completion of the 2014 excavation season of the Kourion Urban Space project (KUSP) under the direction of Dr. Thomas W. Davis of the Tandy Institute for Archaeology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. This year’s excavations uncovered the remains of more victims of the massive earthquake that destroyed Kourion in the fourth century AD. According to an official announcement, initial analysis indicates the remains consist of two adults, a juvenile, and an infant. The family was found huddled together; the infant was found under the right arm of one of...
  • The Future of Aviation Could Start With Windowless Jets

    08/16/2014 8:07:03 PM PDT · by BenLurkin · 29 replies
    ecanadanow.com ^ | Aug 16th, 2014 | Sean Lennox ·
    The future of commercial aviation may be upon us and it could resemble something out of a Marvel movie. A windowless jet concept by the name of the ‘Ixion’ was unveiled at the National Business Aviation Associate Show by a company named Technicon. The Ixion was instantly a hit with the crowd and it quickly created a buzz around the showroom floor. What was so amazing about this vehicle? It lacked windows. Two of the most common fears in the world are claustrophobia and the fear of flying. So should we really be surprised that people have reservations about flying...
  • A Highly Reflective Bike for Safer Nighttime Rides

    08/16/2014 7:36:03 PM PDT · by Steelfish · 23 replies
    Wall St J ^ | August15, 2014 | LOREN MOONEY
    A Highly Reflective Bike for Safer Nighttime Rides The shimmery finish of Mission Bicycle Company's 'Lumen' promises to keep your ride brilliantly aglow By LOREN MOONEY Updated Aug. 15, 2014 FLASHY RIDE | Paint embedded with microscopic glass beads makes the Lumen bike highly reflective. F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal IT'S A CONUNDRUM every city bicyclist who pedals after sunset has grappled with: How to be seen by drivers in the dark of night? You can attach blinking lights and shiny stickers to your bike or backpack, or wear special reflective jackets. But these approaches have their flaws. Batteries...
  • Dubai Resident Wins Guinness Record for Longest Cycle Journey

    08/15/2014 9:41:59 AM PDT · by nickcarraway · 3 replies
    Emirates 24/7 ^ | Friday, August 15, 2014 | Sneha May Francis
    Nagaraj rode his bike for 14,195km across 900 Indian cities in 135 daysIt’s easy to get stuck in the good expat life in Dubai, but Indian-born Arcot Nagaraj wanted more from life. Over a year ago, he stepped out of the bubble and quit his job to return home to fulfil his childhood dream of making it to the Guinness Book of World Records. With the title for the “longest journey by bicycle in a single country” under his sleeve now, he’s clearly on top of the world. Back in Dubai to start his new professional innings, Nagaraj tells Emirates24|7...
  • Couple to stand trial in death of Chicago woman in Bali: lawyer

    08/15/2014 6:45:23 AM PDT · by nikos1121 · 6 replies
    Chicago Tribune ^ | 8/15/2014 | Reuters
    Indonesian police on Friday formally designated a Chicago-area couple prisoners in connection with the death of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, whose body was found in a bloodied suitcase on the resort island of Bali. No charges have been pressed over the murder of von Wiese-Mack, 62, whose battered body was found by a taxi driver outside the St. Regis luxury hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Tuesday. Her daughter, Heather Mack, 19, and boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, 21, were arrested on Wednesday and detained as suspects. Police provided CCTV footage showing the couple speaking to the taxi driver after dropping off the...
  • Three-wheeled Elio gets closer to going on sale

    08/15/2014 12:57:38 AM PDT · by Olog-hai · 53 replies
    Associated Press ^ | Aug 15, 2014 3:22 AM EDT | Dee-Ann Durbin
    Your next commuter car could have two seats, three wheels and get 84 miles to the gallon. Elio Motors wants to revolutionize U.S. roads with its tiny car, which is the same length as a Honda Fit but half the weight. With a starting price of $6,800, it’s also less than half the cost. Phoenix-based Elio plans to start making the cars next fall at a former General Motors plant in Shreveport, Louisiana. […] Because it has three wheels—two in front and one in the rear—the Elio is actually classified as a motorcycle by the U.S. government. But Elio Motors...
  • Watching Ebola outbreak, Minnesotans scramble their travel plans

    08/14/2014 6:50:42 AM PDT · by Smokin' Joe · 22 replies
    Star Tribune ^ | August 4, 2014 | SAMANTHA SCHMIDT
    Minnesota Liberians are trying to help relatives; groups have canceled mission tripsAs alarm grows over the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa, families in Minnesota’s large Liberian community are scrambling for plane tickets and visas to get relatives out of the stricken zone and at least two Twin Cities churches have canceled mission trips intended to deliver medical and other aid to Liberia. “We decided to err on the side of caution,” said Wynfred Russell, executive director of African Career, Education & Resource Inc. in Brooklyn Park and co-leader of a planned January trip of missionaries and public health volunteers....
  • Atlantic City is going bust if it can’t break the gambling habit

    08/14/2014 6:44:12 AM PDT · by C19fan · 20 replies
    Washington Post ^ | August 14, 2014 | Max Ehrenfreund
    The winning streak has run cold for Atlantic City, N.J. Earlier this week, the upscale Revel Casino Hotel announced it will close, bringing the total number of casinos in the city expected to close by the end of the year to four. Thousands of workers are confronting unemployment. The state has long guaranteed Atlantic City a monopoly on gambling within New Jersey's borders, but gambling revenues there have been declining due to increased competition from new casinos in neighboring states and the lingering effects of the financial crisis. The monthly report from the state Division of Gaming Enforcement issued Wednesday...
  • Sea World's profits fall $42MILLION below Wall Street's expectations after devastating Blackfish

    08/14/2014 5:29:19 AM PDT · by C19fan · 11 replies
    UK Daily Mail ^ | August 14, 2014 | Alexandra Klausner
    Shares of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. (SEAS) fell Wednesday after the theme park operator reported second-quarter profit and sales that missed Wall Street expectations and cut its outlook for the year. The Orlando, Florida-based company also said it believes attendance during the period was hurt by negative publicity surrounding its treatment of killer whales, which are trained to perform tricks. A documentary last year called Blackfish suggested that the company's treatment of the killer whales provokes violent behavior from them, which in turn has led to the death of trainers.
  • France’s speed cameras see earnings plummet

    08/13/2014 8:29:21 PM PDT · by Olog-hai · 18 replies
    TheLocal.fr ^ | 13 Aug 2014 12:32 GMT+02:00
    France’s army of roadside speed cameras may be more numerous than ever, but the revenue they pulled in through fines was almost €70 million less than the government expected last year. […] French newspaper Les Echos reported that the 4,150 speed cameras that litter the country’s roads yielded €579,300 last year. While that sounds a healthy amount to be taking out of the pockets of speeding motorists, it was less than in 2012, when rogue drivers boosted state coffers to the tune of €620 million. […] What makes it worse for the government, whose finances seem to be Europe’s biggest...
  • Consumer Reports: Tesla Model S has ‘more than its share of problems’

    08/12/2014 11:51:13 PM PDT · by Olog-hai · 7 replies
    Reuters ^ | Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:51pm EDT | Bernie Woodall
    Consumer Reports, which last year gave top marks to electric carmaker Tesla Motors Inc.’s Model S sedan, now says the car it owns has had “more than its share of problems.” While the car has impressed staff at the influential U.S. consumer magazine with its “smoothness, effortless glide and clever, elegant simplicity,” there have been many quirks that might dampen consumers’ experiences, Consumer Reports said in a statement on Monday. […] “Just before the car went in for its annual service, at a little over 12,000 miles, the center screen went blank, eliminating access to just about every function of...
  • Kim Komando: 3 surprising things that spy on you that you can't stop

    08/10/2014 12:22:33 PM PDT · by EveningStar · 69 replies
    Komando.com ^ | August 9, 2014 | Kim Komando
    Do you ever feel like you're being watched? In the past, you could chalk it up to paranoia, close the curtains and get on with your life. Thanks to technology, it's not just your imagination. You really are being watched in your home, at work and everywhere in between. From online advertisers and hackers to the NSA and other government agencies, everyone is trying to keep tabs on you. And things keep getting worse. If you think you know every gadget and organization that's a danger, think again. Here are three things spying on you that you probably didn't know...
  • Meskel Square Intersection (video)

    08/10/2014 8:16:17 AM PDT · by EveningStar · 11 replies
    Devour.com ^ | October 12, 2012
    Meskel Square Intersection Never complain about traffic again. Here's a day in the life of one of the most ridiculous intersections in the world - Meskel Square, Addis Abeba, the capital of Ethiopia.
  • As Islamic Militants Destroy Iraq Heritage, a Stunning Find in Kurdistan

    08/10/2014 5:13:14 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 11 replies
    Rudaw ^ | July 22, 2014 | Alexandra Di Stefano Pironti
    While the history of civilization is being demolished by war and religious zealots in the rest of Iraq, in the Kurdistan Region archeologists are marveling at a stunning discovery: the remains of a long-lost temple from the biblical kingdom of Urartu, dating back to the 9th century BC. Kurdish archaeologist Dlshad Marf Zamua, who has studied the columns and other artifacts at the find, told Rudaw these were unearthed piecemeal over the past four decades by villagers going about their lives, digging for cultivation or construction. But only recently, after the discovery of life-size human statues and the unearthed columns,...
  • 5000-year-old Cochno Stone carving may be revealed

    08/10/2014 5:04:32 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 28 replies
    The Scotsman, tall and handsome built ^ | July 17, 2014 | Craig Brown
    The Cochno Stone in West Dunbartonshire bears what is considered to be the finest example of Bronze Age “cup and ring” carvings in Europe. The stone, which measures 42ft by 26ft, was discovered by the Rev James Harvey in 1887 on farmland near what is now the Faifley housing estate on the edge of Clydebank. It is covered in about 90 carved indentations, or “cups”, and grooved spirals, along with a ringed cross and a pair of four-toed feet... In 1964, Glasgow University archaeologists recommended it should be buried under several feet of soil to protect the carvings from further...
  • Republicans Reveal New Exotic Retreat in Iceland

    08/09/2014 10:18:02 AM PDT · by OneVike · 11 replies
    I just shocked the MSM hasn't reported on this yet. After all, the way they writeheadlines to mislead people, it's a story just waiting for MSNBC to jump all over.
  • The 2014 Friendliest (and Unfriendliest) Cities in the World

    08/08/2014 7:22:46 AM PDT · by C19fan · 61 replies
    Conde Nash Traveler ^ | August 7, 2014 | Staff
    This year’s list of friendliest (and unfriendliest) cities in the U.S., as chosen by Condé Nast Traveler readers, boasted a lot of Southern hospitality and big-city chilliness, but what do you get when you widen the list to include the whole world? The results may surprise you.
  • Passenger dies on plane headed to Bush airport (flight origin undisclosed)

    08/06/2014 5:56:58 AM PDT · by a fool in paradise · 26 replies
    Houston Chronicle ^ | August 6, 2014 | Dale Lezon
    ...Investigators were dispatched to the airport about 11:30 p.m. after the plane landed, according to the Houston Police Department. Police said the person died of apparent natural causes and no foul play was suspected. No other information about the case was released....
  • Poll: No agreement on how to pay for highways

    08/05/2014 8:18:27 AM PDT · by Olog-hai · 59 replies
    Associated Press ^ | Aug. 5, 2014 9:03 AM EDT | Joan Lowy and Jennifer Agiesta
    Small wonder Congress has kept federal highway and transit programs teetering on the edge of insolvency for years, unable to find a politically acceptable long-term source of funds. The public can’t make up its mind on how to pay for them either. […] Among those who drive places multiple times per week, 62 percent say the benefits outweigh the costs. Among those who drive less than once a week or not at all, 55 percent say the costs of road improvement are worthwhile. Yet a majority of all Americans—58 percent—oppose raising federal gasoline taxes to fund transportation projects such as...